Whispers in the Wood
by Chasing Midnight
Summary: Jade agreed to something to help her little brother and Beck. She thought it would be simple. How wrong she was. A week ago, the girls were attacked and taken deep into the woods. Things happen that Jade can't even remember and Tori refuses to talk about. Cat is missing, the police think Jade has lost her mind and could even have a part of Cat's kidnapping. What really happened?
1. Waking

Jade.

It was dark, only because I kept yelling at the doctors to turn the lights off. I didn't want it to be light; I didn't want to see myself and the damage that had been done. It was quiet too, so damn silent my own thoughts appeared to scream at me rather than whisper. I could hear the distant footsteps of _them_, the people that could carry on with the knowledge of what had happened to me, to us, and still be quite happy to carry on with their perfect lives. Then there was me, who could stay awake all night realising how my life would never return to the same normal their stupid lives were because this had ruined every chance of that ever happening.

There were the flashbacks rearing their ugly heads when I tried to sleep, they haunted my nightmares like ghosts of the past. Her face danced across my dreams, laughing carelessly and enjoying every light footstep, each left a heavy dint in my sanity. It was her eyes, the mocking way they were so happy and carefree. They killed me a little inside, not that there was much left alive anymore. There were gravestones littered around the front yard of my mind. The newest one belonging to her, her name in pretty italics like she'd always wanted.

I was curled up on the floor in the back corner of the hospital room. I'd crawled off the bed after the last doctor had made an appearance. The bed was more like an interrogation table. They kept asking questions. A question followed by another and another. There were no answers to be given. I didn't know what had happened, not clearly enough to be of any real help. Everyone seemed to want to know: the police, my mom, her parents, Beck, the rest of the group. They all had questions which followed the same path and ended up at the same dead end each time. Still, they pressed me for answers. I was beginning to feel like an apple in a juice press. I was going crazy enough to use stupid comparisons like that.

Why can't they understand that I don't know what happened to her nor do I know where she is? If I did, I'd be running there this very moment. I don't care about the state I'm in, if I could save her, I would. I wouldn't give a second thought about it.

And another thing, I wish they'd stop telling me not to worry or move because of 'my condition'. Next, they'll stop me breathing. They make it sound like I've got the bubonic plague or something referring to it as 'my condition' all of the time. Why can't they form words other than those two that they utter in disgust then they try to hide their disapproval from the poor crazy girl? I'm not crazy; I did hear her screams as someone dragged my unconscious body across the forest floor. They've tried to tell me that I created the image in my mind to comfort myself that I was with her until the very end and that a barmaid found me in the car park of some rural bar when they snatched her instead. But why would they want her? I'm the one that's in trouble.

Someone walked in, then knelt down beside me.

"Babe, it's me, Beck."

I didn't move. I didn't want to.

"You shouldn't be on the floor, not in your condition," André said.

I didn't look at him or Beck; I simply turned further away from them. "Shut up."

"Jade, please just get back into the bed," Beck was literally begging me now; I could hear it in his voice. By now, I would have thought he'd realise I wasn't moving after a week here.

I didn't even volunteer an answer for him.

He sighed, replacing the air with a long inhalation. "If you want to be like that then I'm giving up with asking for you to do it."

Beck's arms slipped under my back, cradling me to his chest. I wanted to shout at him, get him away from me. He shouldn't see me in this way, broken and helpless. I knew I shouldn't be so harsh on him but he shouldn't keep coming back to see the disaster his girlfriend had become.

He placed me onto the bed. He pulled the covers over my bare legs then slipped the oxygen mask back onto my face and placed the heart rate clip back onto my finger. "That's better."

I couldn't look him in the eye, I was guilty somehow. All those hours alone, I'd finally connected the dots of how it was my entire fault. I should have told her we weren't going shopping that day, made some silly excuse to stay home and watch Cinderella or whatever the film of the month is.

André placed some magazines at the side of my bed. "I asked your mom if you had any favourites and got the new editions. I bought some for Tori too but they're discharging her soon."

"Thanks," I replied quietly. "Is she okay?"

André didn't look at me. I knew why. "She's improved since last week. Just a few broken ribs and some scratches, that's all."

I nodded lightly. "That's good."

"I know you haven't been sleeping and that the doctors can't give you anything so I tried to find some herbal medicines in my grandmother's old books and there's this herb which can make you fall to sleep –"

Beck shot a look at André as if he couldn't believe how much junk he was coming out with. The black circles under his eyes stood out in the small amount of banished light invading my room. "Jade, we need to know what happened. The officers really need to talk to you again but you keep refusing and the doctors say the stress isn't good for the ba..."

I shook my head, covering my ears and shutting my eyes tightly. I brought my legs closely to my chest, resting my forehead on my knees.

She couldn't barge her way into my mind, not now.

"Jade? Are you okay?"

Beck's voice was several miles away from me, repeating that question in hope I'd respond to one of his pleas. He sounded so far above the water, I couldn't hear him anymore.

That's when she began singing again as they drove towards the retail park on the outskirts of the city.

_-Flashback-_

_"Jadey, turn the radio up please?" Cat laughed, singing along to some damn awful song I hadn't heard before. It was a hot day; I remember the sun blazing down on the city from the road. It was the last hot day of the year before the breeze became a harsh, cold wind that raged passed my hospital window every night._

_"No."_

_"Please? I like this song!" She begged, her hands clasped together._

_Tori laughed from the backseat._

_"What's so funny, Vega?" I spat as she creased herself laughing._

_Tori stopped, poking her head between the seats. "Nothing at all, Jade."_

_"You should have agreed to let Tori drive or let Beck take us in his truck," Cat started._

_"I'm fully capable of driving, thanks," I snapped back, slamming my foot onto the pedal. "Just because they would have turned the radio up, they're soft touches. You just bat your eyelashes at them, Cat, and they bow down to your every request."_

_Cat glanced down, a knowing shame forming on her lips. "It's not my fault."_

_"Trina wanted to come with us, shopping at the retail park," Tori shrugged, leaning back into her seat._

_I raised an eyebrow at Tori in the rear view mirror. "And why would she want to do that?"_

_"She thinks you could be different now you're… you know," Tori gestured to my stomach._

_"Knocked up? You can say it you know, Vega. It won't happen to you if you use the words relating to it either," I replied putting my shades on then replacing my hand on the steering wheel._

_Tori blushed, muttering something I couldn't quite hear about my sarcasm and how it hadn't improved despite Trina's beliefs._

_Cat began singing again, I groaned. It was the same song again for the fifth time since we'd left my house. Why the hell did I let her bring her own CD for the ride?_

_"Change the song, Cat! If I hear this song one more time, I will throw the disc out of the window without a second thought. "_

_"But Robbie made it me for my birthday!" She argued back, her petite arms crossed themselves fiercely. _

_I threw her one of my signature glares._

_She sighed, pressing the button for the next song. It happened to be the song Robbie had written for her after the blonde fanatic freak dumped her. I had to admit, it was a cute song._

_I just wish her voice singing the overly sweet lyrics wouldn't echo in my head like my own personal show in the back of my mind. It was always waiting to accompany the sorry flashbacks. _

_The soundtrack to my misery._

_-End-_

"Jade, please just answer me," Beck appealed to me, shaking my shoulders gently.

André was gone. It was just me and Beck in the box of hospital room.

"She played Robbie's song the entire time we were driving," I whispered as if it would trigger something to start playing it in the room.

Beck sat on the edge of the bed. "She loves that song a little too much."

"Did they find my car?"

"They put it back on your mom's drive," Beck said, stroking my back.

I looked up at him. "Where has Robbie been? I haven't heard you talk about him."

"I haven't really…"

"Don't lie to me, Beck. What difference will it make?"

He sighed, shrugging softly. "He hasn't been doing too well."

"I want you to give him Cat's CD from my car, my way of saying sorry."

"Saying sorry for what? You don't have anything to be sorry for, babe."

I had clumps of my hair tightly in my hands. "I'm a bad person, Beck. I should have let them grab me, not her."

He wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head lightly. "You didn't get a choice."

"I could have saved her."

"No, I don't think any of us could have done," He whispered in my ear. "But she'll be okay; they'll find her in some ice cream parlour somewhere like they found you."

"They didn't find me where she was. They moved me. I was with her, I kept hearing her cry and scream at them about how they'd knocked me out. Then they dragged me through the woods and I can't remember after that."

Beck didn't acknowledge I'd said anything instead he'd stood up. We'd argued about it before, in the seven days I'd been here, we'd argued so much that security kicked him out for upsetting me so much.

Why didn't anyone believe me?

I slowly placed my hands on the bed. "You shouldn't be here."

He took a step back. "What?"

"You shouldn't be here," I repeated.

He tried to sooth me. "You don't mean that, babe."

"I do, name the reason why you're here."

"I love you, isn't that a good enough reason?"

I nodded. "It is but I'm not Jade right now, I'm a messed up version of myself and I don't want you to see it."

"You need support right now, I'm not leaving you."

"I'm fine, I need to get back to being myself," I responded, staring straight ahead.

"But there isn't just you anymore, is there?" Beck looked at me, his gaze burning my face. "I've already lost Cat from this; I'm not losing you as well."

I didn't reply. I just glanced down to what he meant. The ever growing issue with everyone I knew.

"There are two of you and I'm not leaving until the other one tells me to."

"That's ridiculous, it can't talk," I scoffed as André returned with the dreaded doctor.

Beck gave me a small smile. "Now you know how you sound."

**And welcome to my new story!**

**This was planned about half way through Lost in the Butterflies so it's a long time I've been waiting to show you this! (By the votes, it looks like a sequel is very, very likely…)**

**Anyway, I hope you're going to enjoy this!**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	2. Somewhere

Jade.

"I bought a muffin from the café for you," My mother held up a brown bag.

I looked up from one of the music magazines André had bought for me. I wasn't really reading it; I kept glancing at the pictures of female lead singers and at how their skin was perfect, no scars or bruises. I could have looked like that if it wasn't for the week's events. Who was I kidding? I couldn't look that good even if I hadn't been attacked.

"It's chocolate," she added as if that made everything in the world magically better.

"Thanks."

"How are you feeling?" she said, sitting down by my side. "We haven't had a heart to heart in a while, honey."

I picked at the corners of the muffin. If Cat was here, I'd have given to her. It had been our deal since we were in kindergarten, she gave me her milk and I gave her my cookie or muffin. It was weird even considering eating it, it was Cat's and it wasn't mine. "Beck, can you go find out when my next scan is?"

My mother glanced at Beck who was the other side of me to her. "No, you don't have to do that, Beck. He's fine staying in here, Jade."

"I don't mind," he replied standing up.

"Don't bow down to her orders," my mother sighed, rolling her eyes at the same time.

He smiled. "I think my life would be a lot easier if I do. It would save me getting thrown out again."

The door shut behind him.

"Why did you get him kicked out last week?" Mom's eyes accused me. "He's trying to help."

"He shouldn't be here to see me so messed up."

"Have you even given a damn thought to how he's feeling right now, Jade?"

I didn't reply to her, instead I flicked over another page. She grabbed the magazine and threw it across the room.

I raised my eyebrow at her. "Careful there, mom, security will be throwing you out soon."

"Good to see your sarcastic nature hasn't been affected," she glared at me. "Answer my question."

"Yes, I have."

She shook her head. "Of course you haven't, you're using him as a verbal punch bag from what I've heard from the doctor about the other night."

"He's blaming himself for what happened to me, Cat and Tori. He thinks he could have stopped it happening somehow, he's gone through every possible way he could have prevented it. He hurts inside when he has to sit there hour after hour, trying to think of something to say that won't upset me or bring on a flashback. He can't stand the fact I'm trapped inside my own mind and there is nothing he can do to rescue me from it. He's scared for the baby and what I could possibly do to harm it because he knows I'm not thinking straight right now and the last time we were in this place keeps echoing in the back of his mind. He's wondering if I'll try to do it again if Cat doesn't make it or if I lose the baby because neither of them is guaranteed to make it right now. He's afraid of me and all of the possibilities of what could happen and I can't stand that because I know one day, he's expecting to open that door and see me filling every single expectation he has of me right now."

My mother looked at me then glanced up at the open doorway where Beck stood.

"I'm tired, I'd like you both to leave now," I said, turning over so my back was facing the doorway.

I couldn't face him now he'd heard that, the very few fears I could actually confess to my mother.

"Will you be okay by yourself?" Mom pulled the covers up to my shoulder, tucking me in like she would when I was a child.

I sighed. "I'll still be alive when you come back if that's what you mean."

"We still need to talk," she warned me. "Your father wants to visit too."

I shut my eyes tightly. "I don't want him here."

"But honey, he's your father."

"He could be the president at the same time as being my father and I still wouldn't want him here."

I could almost feel her stare burning into my back.

"You need to drop the attitude for when I come back tonight."

Beck bobbed his head down, kissing my cheek. "I love you, Jade. I'll come back tomorrow with some updates."

"Beck, when you come tomorrow, could you bring Alex with you?"

"Of course I can, if that's okay with you?" I could imagine him looking at my mom, confused to why I'd asked for Alex.

Baby brother Alex would be my valiant knight, forever fighting my corner regardless of what I'd done wrong. That's why I loved my little brother, in his eyes, I could never make a mistake and he understood things I couldn't tell anyone else. He really was wise beyond his ten years.

…

"Brilliant, you're back."

"There's no need for sarcasm," Mom cautioned me, resuming her seat from this afternoon.

I threw the book Sikowitz had sent to the end of my bed. It was weird and strange but it was all I had that I hadn't read several times before. "Fine, I'll try to be nice whilst my best friend is either being held prisoner or is possibly dead."

"I'm sorry about Cat, she'll be fine."

I shook my head, fiddling with my hospital band on my pale, gaunt wrist. "You don't know that, nobody does."

She gave me the look that told me she was moving the topic on to what interested her more than Cat. She had never really cared for her, claiming Cat was too much for her. My mother had a thing for not caring for things that seemed to take at least a little bit of her energy, which was the main reason I'd had to raise my younger brother. Alex was not the average ten old boy but to be honest, I wasn't exactly the average eighteen year old especially the small, almost unnoticeable bump attached to my front.

"Why are you even back?"

"Did I never teach you anything?"

I smirked, playing with the hospital band again. "Is that a joke? Of course you didn't, you were too busy passing me off to Grandma all of the time then you started doing it with Alex as well. So whatever you were supposed to teach me never really got a chance to be taught."

"I taught you to respect yourself and not to mess your life up like I did."

"When was that? Because I certainly don't recall that part," I replied.

She gave me a sobering look. "I had you when I was eighteen, I had to drop out of college and marry your father. I wasn't happy at all. I didn't love your father but his mother told us we had no choice but to get married. My life was hell."

"But you still managed to have Alex, wow. I can feel your pain," I said bluntly.

"I convinced myself that having another child would stop your father from looking at other women."

"And it didn't work. What a shame."

My mother glanced at me, a deep hatred in her eyes. "I never expected you to understand, Jadelyn. You will never understand."

"Oh, really? I raised your son for you whilst you went out every night drinking yourself to death. I think I know the struggles more than you do, mom. You drink away the money dad gives you for us."

"This isn't about me. This is about you and that thing inside you," she spat in disgust.

I rolled my eyes, yet another lecture. "Hey, mom, it's called a baby."

"It will ruin your life."

"Like I ruined yours?"

She shook her head laughing. "You were the biggest mistake I ever made."

"It's a sad fact that I feel likewise about you, when dad offered me that apartment in the city, boy, I should have ripped the keys out of his hand."

"I hate you," she said coldly. "I hate my own daughter; do you see what you've driven me to?"

I smiled as sadistic as it was. "At least we both feel the same way. But maybe you should consider the fact I hate you the next time you let a man into the house, he probably feels the same as I do."

She slapped me sharply across the face then continued to hit me repeatedly screaming something along the lines of 'I hate you'.

The bursts of what had happened came to me like a television show playing on really bad signal, flashes and blank screens.

_"Who are you?" he screamed, punching me and hitting me until he grew tired of it._

_Cat, who was forced to endure the same treatment, was the first to cry out. "I'm Jade."_

_That's when it stopped; the man released me, allowing me to fall to the floor in agony._

_"I'm Jade West and that is my friend, Cat Valentine."_

_"I'm glad you've decided to co-operate, Miss West," a rusty voice chuckled._

_I could picture Cat's eyes, wide and brown, her face pleading with them. "Please let her go."_

_They laughed at her then continued to kick me until I blacked out._

_The first time, anyway._

"Stop it," I whimpered as she carried on.

Two nurses ran in, my mother hadn't noticed them until they dragged her off of me.

They screamed for security.

I screamed for Beck.

**Tomorrow's chapter should be fun to write. :3**

**I'm not really feeling great today, friend issues.**

**On the bright side, I'm going to see All Time Low! :D**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	3. Different

**_Cat._**

"Wake up," the husky voice said, nudging my side with his foot. "We're going somewhere."

I groaned, so did the rest of my body. I'm sure I hadn't broken any bones but I was sure I'd come close to it. My pale skin was ink-stained with blue and green marks, everything ached and cried out for me to just go back to sleep. At least in my slumber, it didn't hurt.

My eyes fluttered open to see the man, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and a gaunt face that told the tale of many battles. He had a beard forming from not shaving over the past couple of days. He had been here from the start but he wasn't the one that hit me. There were two others for that.

"Come on, princess. Boss wants you moved today. Police are on to us."

I tried to lean up; the floor of the warehouse was rugged and cold. "Where?"

"New place, like I'd tell you where we're going, princess," he took the cigarette from his mouth.

I nodded, understanding that further questions would only led to him calling for the other two again.

"Hal, we need to go!"

He pulled me up, expecting me to walk out of the warehouse in front of him. "Move it, princess."

…

"The boss wasn't too impressed we were keeping her in the warehouse, apparently she needs somewhere humane to live," one of the other two in the front said.

Hal laughed, lighting another cigarette. "Since when has he cared?"

"Next he'll be telling us we can't smoke around her," the guy sat next to me joined in. I think his name was James but I couldn't be sure.

"He did."

Hal hit the steering wheel harshly. "Damn it. Why did we even take this contract?"

James sighed heavily. "Think of the money, pa."

The car halted, Elliot, the other accomplish, took the blind fold off of me. I blinked against the light.

"It's a log cabin, princess," Hal called from the door.

I took a few trembling footsteps towards him, Elliot and James each grabbed a side of me to support me. They half carried me inside, placing me down on a plush sofa.

I stole a glance of the room. There were two rooms, the kitchen was in one corner and the double canopy bed stood in the centre of the right wall. The sofa was placed in front of a television and there was a crib poised at the far end of the room. The bathroom, I assumed, was the other room.

"Why is it so nice?" I managed to ask.

"The boss wants you to be comfortable so you get to have his retreat," Hal shook his head. "He comes here with his wife during the weekends. It's so far away from anywhere and there's no phone signal."

I stared out of the window, forest stretched for as far as I could see.

"Best part is that we don't have to stay with you," Elliot said absentmindedly. "Even if you did try and run, you can't get anywhere without starving to death."

"Or freezing to death," James added kindly.

Hal shook his head again then began talking like I wasn't here. "You're scaring the poor girl. You should respect Jade. She's the same age as Dayna, boys. Remember that, she's scared and she's alone out here with us so be nice."

The two boys hung their heads in shame. "Sorry pa."

"Now, help her to the bathroom. She probably wants a hot bath," Hal said, gesturing at James to go run it for me.

"Dayna wouldn't be in a situation like this, pa," Elliot replied firmly. "We would protect her."

Hal looked at me, his eyes sad. "Not everyone has someone to protect them, kid."

Elliot bowed his head. "I'll go get the essentials from the car."

Hal waited for him to close the door. "They're good boys."

I dropped my eyes to the floor, good people didn't hurt others like they'd hurt Jade.

"It wasn't them the other day, they were the boss' amateurs," he sat down next to me. "We took over shortly after that mishap. The boss wants you unharmed and we were desperate."

He glanced over at me; I simply kept my head down. I didn't want to look at his face.

"You see, my daughter, Dayna, isn't well. She needs treatment and we haven't got the money. It was a blessing when the boss offered me this job. It sounded like a bit of babysitting and my little girl could be cured. Elliot and James offered to help me, they love their sister. She's around your age, with pretty blue eyes and blonde hair. She's as pretty as a picture but she's so sick."

I finally looked up at him. "I understand. We do crazy things to help the ones we love."

He smiled at me. "We know. You did it for your friend."

My heart stopped short. How could he possibly know?

…

**_Jade._**

"Jade!" Alex exclaimed as he saw me, he darted towards the bed. "Can I sit with you?"

I smiled at him, patting a space for him to curl up into.

He climbed onto the bed, relaxing into my arms. "I've missed you, Jade."

"I've missed you more," I replied, kissing the top of my baby brother's head. "Has Beck been taking good care of my little guy?"

"I'm eleven, I'm not so little anymore," he glared at me.

I laughed. "Face it, Alex. You'll always be my little brother until you're ninety odd."

His face fell into a serious expression as he saw the fresh bruises forming. "What happened? Why won't you let mom see me?"

"She won't be allowed to see me anymore," I took a deep breath. Alex had never witness our mother's violent streak before. I'm glad he hadn't. "She doesn't understand the things you do."

"What's going to happen to us now, Jade?"

I shrugged lightly. There was no point lying to him, he'd only work it out for himself. "I guess I'll have to file for a restraining order against mom and sort out with dad if we can keep the house."

"Can't I help?"

"You're too young but I know what you can do," I whispered into his ear. "Tell me where Beck is."

Alex stared up at me, a troubled expression coming to his face. "He told me not to tell you."

"Alex," I said firmly.

He sighed, crossing his arms. "He's talking to the doctor."

"When you say talking…"

"Shouting and harassing," he said. "I guess I better go tell him he's been found out."

Alex disappeared for a couple of minutes, returning with Beck.

I glared at Beck. "You know when I get refused treatment here, I'm blaming you."

"Your mother had no right to come here this afternoon and –"

"Not here," I cut him off sharply.

He nodded, sitting back down. "Tori's being discharged today, Trina's coming to fetch her."

"Where are her parents?" I asked, not that it affected me being stuck here but if it kept Beck calm.

Alex curled back up next to me. "I overheard Mrs Vega after class today. She's divorcing her husband for Gary."

"What have I told you about hanging around and listening to private conversations, Alex?" I sighed.

"She was telling someone and I happened to be passing."

I shook my head. "I must be the worst teacher in the world."

"No, I just have common sense and good hearing," Alex winked at me cheekily.

"Do you want the dessert? It's the same as lunchtime," I said to him. Alex grinned, my sign of acceptance. "Beck, can you pass me the bowl?"

Beck reached over to the side, picking up the bowl but he didn't move to hand it me.

He stared at the side table. He slowly put the bowl down; he grasped one of the leaflets. "Hey, Alex, why don't you get something from the vending machine instead? This dessert is a little cold."

Alex took the couple of dollars from Beck's hand, knowing he couldn't stick around this time. I tried to look at what he had in his hand.

"When were you going to tell me?" he said in a cold, hurt voice. "Adoption? It's my baby too."

I winced, expecting some retaliation from him, a shout at least.

But the silence was worse as a few tears ran down his cheeks lightly.

Yes, that hurt more.

**Sorry the chapter can't be as long as the others, I wrote those while I was on holiday so they could be longer.**

**So yeah, review on Lost in the Butterflies last night… Erm. I was a little confused. If you're reading this, Guest, then I guess I'm sorry but you never gave me a reason…**

**Today has been one of those days you could have easily stayed in bed rather than bothering to get up for it. I genuinely adore Alex from All Time Low, he is so inspirational. But that's another story.**

**Love Always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	4. Will

**_Cat._**

"What do you mean?" I asked; panic filling every vein in my body.

The front door opened again, Elliot appeared holding two black sport bags. He put them next to the bed, looking at the intense situation.

"What now, pa?"

"We'll wait for James to finish running the bath and we'll leave her to settle in," Hal said, moving his eyes from me but not his head. "You'll be fine by yourself, won't you, princess?"

I nodded, dropping my gaze down to the floor again.

James appeared from the bathroom. "Bath is run; I've put some of the boss' wife's bath crème in. I have no idea what it is but hey, I'm trying to be nice."

"Dayna would kill you," Elliot sighed. "If Jade wants to wash her hair, it'll be all soapy. Has our baby sister taught you nothing?"

"You're going to tell her later, aren't you?" James rolled his eyes. "She won't let me hear the end of it."

Hal stood and watched me from the side of the door. "We'll be back later to see to you."

"Can you lock the door?" I requested in a small, quiet voice.

Elliot frowned at me. "Bizarre request you have there."

"I don't like being in the woods alone," I replied simply.

I could tell them about the time I was on a walk with my brother and he left me in the woods alone for hours until he returned to find me crying. He looked at me blankly with the ice-creams he'd found somewhere, holding out one to me as an offering of peace. He didn't grasp why I was upset, he thought I'd be happy amongst the trees.

I missed my brother; he was in the Idaho hospital. I couldn't help but wonder if they'd left him there and come home to look for me.

But that had to mean Jade had definitely been taken to safety and not abandoned somewhere.

Oh God. What if she was? Beck would be so broken and Alex would have no one of real use left.

"Are you okay?" James, the blonde one asked. "You've gone really pale."

I smiled at him. "I'm fine."

They nodded. Hal gestured for them to leave the hut.

"The boss will get the truth soon, kid. I advise you start praying the real Jade got to safety before he finds out," he said, a look of pity casted upon me. "You're brave, you know that? I could have never done what you have."

A lump caught in my throat. "Thanks."

"I assume she has, the police reports don't mention her missing."

"Why hasn't he found out before now? It's been a week."

Hal shrugged. "The boss is in England on some business. He'll be back tomorrow with his wife. He's going to kill the original guys."

"Why do the boys keep calling me 'Jade'?"

"They don't watch the news much, they spend most of their time with Dayna these days," he stole one final look at me. "Take care of yourself in the meantime, Cat."

…

I sat in the water until it became cold and even then, I didn't move until much later.

I studied the splurges of bruising on my skin. Lovely, I thought.

Suddenly remembering the boys would be coming back soon, I decided it would be better to get dressed. I dried myself off then walked over to the drawers, they were lined with maternity jeans and tops. I frowned, 'the boss' must be expecting a kid well his wife would be. I found the bottom drawer was filled with normal fitting clothes.

There was a knock at the door shortly after I'd wrestled the dress on.

Elliot appeared, he looked about nineteen. His black hair framed his face at an angle.

"Just wanted to check you're okay."

"Fine thanks," I said quietly.

He raised an eyebrow at my choice of outfit. "Expecting someone?"

"Yeah, I was just about to invite my friends over for dinner."

Elliot laughed. "Good to see you still have your sense of humour."

"You kind of have to if you're being kidnapped," I shrugged, sitting on the end of the bed.

"I'm sorry about all of this."

I nodded. "I understand. You have your sister to think about."

"Dad told us, what you did for your friend. I think you're crazy."

"That's not the first time someone has said that to me, believe or not."

He smiled at me. "Maybe we could be friends?"

I stared at him. It wasn't something I was expecting from my kidnappers.

"I know it's not the normal thing you'd expect," he sighed. "But I don't really have my friends my age and it would be nicer for you I guess."

I thought about it, he was right. I had nothing to lose, in fact, maybe it would make this a lot nicer.

"Sure, on one condition," I smirked.

"What's that?"

"Next time you visit, bring some movies and chocolate. Then maybe this will be downgraded from kidnap to a surprise sleepover," I suggested, making Elliot smile in the process.

…

**_Jade._**

"Jade, why did you even consider this?" he said. "Alone as well?"

I stared at him. "My mom brought them, this afternoon."

"You considered it though, didn't you?" he accused; I could almost hear his heart breaking.

My voice got caught in my throat. "I – I thought about it."

I didn't answer him, seeing the crying Alex reappearing in the door way. "Alex…"

"You lied, Jade."

I opened my mouth to answer him but Alex beat me to it.

"You said we'd be okay, that Beck wouldn't leave us again. You said that we'd be a family again and that I wouldn't get teased at school anymore about mom and dad! You lied to me, Jade! You said you never would!" he screamed at me, running away from me.

Beck looked at me. "Well done Jade."

My eyes stung with tears. "Alex."

Beck looked at me again, a terrified look painted on his face. "He'll come back."

"I wanted to protect him," I said, tears rolling down my cheeks heavily.

"You've lied to the both of us, Jade."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I shouted at him. "Find him, please? If it's not for me, for his sake."

Beck stood up, walking out of the room.

Tori silently walked in, sitting down. "Hey."

"How are you?"

"I'm not the one still in a hospital bed," she shot back.

I took her appearance in, she was pretty battered, but nowhere near as much as I was or Cat would be. "I'm sorry about your parents."

"How did you know?" she said sadly.

"Alex overheard your mom."

She nodded. "I can't believe her at times."

"Trust me, you get used to it."

Tori shifted uncomfortably. She wanted to say something but didn't know how.

"Just come out with it, Vega."

"I'm sorry for what happened," she confessed.

I didn't react; I could either scream or thank her. "You did what your instincts told you."

"I still feel awful –"

"Just shut up, okay?" I snapped at her. "Just get out."

She gave me one last look then nodded, leaving the room.

Beck returned, Alex wasn't with him. "He's sat in the children's ward playing with the kids there."

"Thank you."

He sat down again. "Tori was here, wasn't she?"

I nodded, not wanting to elaborate anymore.

"The adoption thing, when were you going ask me?"

"I hadn't decided anything, I just wanted to read them, keep the options open just in case."

He laughed. "In case of what?"

"You don't understand, Beck."

He looked at me, almost amused by what I'd just said. "Right, this baby is half of me and I don't understand?"

"No, you don't because it's not yours, Beck."

**I feel like there should be music here.**

**My phone died and I was talking to people. :(**

**I don't feel great so if this chapter makes sense, I need to bless autocorrect and my subconscious writer within me.**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight. **


	5. Never

**_Jade._**

I watched his face fall for a second time in the space of an hour. I knew he wouldn't want me near him now. He would probably think I'd set out to destroy him when I hadn't. All of this had been done to help him; at least, that's what I thought. When he had said he was going to Canada for six months, I saw my window of opportunity. A way of getting him what he needed.

"You're lying, the baby is mine," he said, no emotion in his voice.

The usually tanned skin he had turned paler. He looked ill.

"You want the truth?" I couldn't breathe; the words came out almost in a whisper. "It could be yours, I don't know."

He fired questions; I couldn't look at him just like he couldn't look me in the eye. "You must have cheated on me then… Who with? When? How long for?"

"It's not what you're thinking, Beck."

"Oh really? So this magically happened?" he shouted angrily.

I cautiously leaned up. "I have never cheated on you. How could you even think that?"

"You were…" he couldn't finish the question before he swallowed hard.

"No! I would have told you. Let me explain. I was talking to this woman at the doctors when I went with Alex about his shots. She thought I was his mom, she said how she –"

I could see a shadow being cast in the doorway.

That meant only one thing.

"Hello Jadelyn."

"Dad," I said coldly.

He entered the room, his brief case swinging in his hand. He'd come from work which meant he would be difficult and cruel. He sat down, slamming the case against the floor. "You're being ridiculous."

"I'm great thanks, dad. I've really improved since you never called," I replied sarcastically to him.

"Watch your tone, lady. You're being unreasonable. This child does not deserve a young mother who will have no idea how to take care of it."

Beck took the other seat. I could see he was biting his tongue against my father.

"I'm the exact age mom was, what's your problem?" I retaliated.

"Your mother and I married before you were born, it was different," he snapped at me. "How long were you planning on keeping it from us?"

"I was hoping until it turned eighteen or something, keep it in the garage."

My father looked up, the fire in his eyes raging like his hometown of Hell. "Jadelyn, this isn't funny. You're going to give up the baby when it is born on the grounds you'll be an unfit mother."

My jaw dropped open, Beck's eyes bulged. "What?"

"If you don't hand it over, I most certainly will. I will inform the hospital and the adoption agency."

I laughed. "If that's the case, I'm discharging myself and getting the hell away from you."

"You are just being stupid now, Jadelyn," he sighed as if I was another one of his clients.

I pulled myself up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "I'm not the one being an ass."

"You will stay right there," my father ordered, standing up in my path.

"Not a chance in hell," I sneered, my feet shaking but I managed to stand up.

He grabbed my shoulders forcefully. "You have to lie down, Jadelyn."

"I'm leaving," I said firmly, trying to step out of his way.

"No!" he shouted, the familiar angry streak reared its ugly head.

He slammed me backwards into the cupboard, the bump hit it first then it cracked my head as I fell.

My parents really were a match, they were as cruel as one another and they both had violent streaks.

The room looked so much whiter from this point of view.

…

**_Cat._**

Elliot laughed at the film, handing me another bar of chocolate.

"Is this so I look the part for when the boss comes?" I joked, opening it.

"As tempting and convenient as that idea is, he'll have sussed it out."

"He'll hurt me, won't he?" I asked, not wanting to ruin the happy atmosphere but I needed to know.

Elliot shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know."

I nodded. "I understand."

"I've enjoyed it."

"Enjoyed what?" I frowned. "Please don't start kidnapping girls for a living."

He laughed again, shaking his head. "Meeting you and having a friend for once, watching movies together and just enjoying each other's company."

"Me too, it's been nice. I think you have to be the kindest kidnappers ever," I grinned, offering him half the chocolate bar. "But it's going to have to end, right?"

"Yeah, my dad will kill me for getting close to you and the boss will kill us for getting you and Jade mixed up."

I rested my head on the sofa. "It wasn't your fault though, Elliot."

There was a short period of silence, only the film breaking it.

"Do you have a boyfriend, Cat?"

I was about to laugh and tell him no but I thought about Robbie.

He would be going out of his mind; I could imagine him looking night and day, listening to our song over and over until he fell asleep in the small hours of the morning. He wouldn't give up on me, I knew that, and I would be forever grateful for that.

"I do, his name is Robbie."

"He's a lucky guy," Elliot smiled, raising his can of coke. "I hope we remain friends after this, Cat."

I raised mine, tapping it against his. "To our funny sort of friendship!"

He nodded approvingly. "To our funny sort of friendship!"

"How is your sister?"

Elliot dropped his eyes to the floor. "Sick, she's not doing great."

"When do you get the money?" I asked.

"We have half of it now, but until the boss is satisfied he has what he wants."

I turned my head to look at him; I reached over and squeezed his hand. "Jade will deliver whatever it is he wants. She'll do the right thing."

…

I opened my eyes to find somebody shaking my shoulders. "Elliot, let me sleep!"

But it wasn't him; some official looking guy in a suit met my gaze.

"Hello Caterina Valentine."

I shot up, ignoring the protest of my body. "Hello?"

"You've ruined the plans we had, you know that?"

"I know."

The man nodded. "I see what you did it."

"I'm not going to say sorry, if that's what you're after."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said. "I'm Toby Jenkins, the boss."

I studied him. "They make you sound much scarier."

He laughed, sitting at the end of the bed. I noticed the two security guards at the door. "They're employed to fear me."

Mr Jenkins raised his head. "Now, what do we do about you then?"

"I guess letting me go is out of the question?"

"Just a little, but maybe you've done me a great favour, Miss Valentine."

I frowned, raising an eyebrow at him. "Why doesn't that sound too good?"

"Because, Miss Valentine, you could probably end up with a grave somewhere in this wood if your dear friend Miss West doesn't play by the rules."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, growing less confident.

He smiled at me. "She has something I want, she will give it to me and you can skip away to live your merry little life. If she doesn't give it to me, you'll have to face her consequences. That will hurt her more than anything else."

I couldn't react. What had Jade gotten herself into?

**I had no idea what to write so thank theAnGerFlarE for the idea tonight.**

**I have a good idea of what's coming next.**

**THE POLL HAS SHUT ON THE 'LOST IN THE BUTTERFLIES' SEQUEL.**

**The results are, drum roll please…**

**There WILL be a sequel. The voting ended (counting people who couldn't vote but told me what they wanted) as 15 to 1.**

**:)**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**

**P.S. I will get around to replying to reviews. Honest.**


	6. Feel

**_Cat._**

I stared at the wall, rocking a little.

Mr Jenkins had basically told me I was going to die. Regardless of what Jade did, he couldn't allow me to live knowing about this arrangement. It would kill his business, he said, his enemies would use it to destroy him. What that thing was, I didn't know but apparently I was still too close to the 'core'.

"Are you all right?" Elliot broke the silence, placing down a cup of tea in front of me. "Sweet tea, it's good for shock. Pa swears by it."

"Thank you," I uttered, not tearing my eyes away from the small rip in the wallpaper.

He settled himself down at the side of me. "He might not go through with it, Cat. He's usually all talk."

"Yeah, the guys with the guns certainly looked misunderstood and I'm sure they're into kittens and ponies."

"Hold back on the sarcasm, Miss Snappy," Elliot replied.

"I'm sorry, were you just threatened with death?"

He nodded. "I'm sorry."

I sighed heavily. "It's not your fault. Our paths just happened to cross, if it wasn't you, it would be someone else and they'd be harsher."

"What? They'd give you diet coke instead of normal?" he joked, grinning at me.

"You know what I mean, Elliot," I laughed. "I'm thankful for you making this easier for me."

He nodded again. "You're making it sound like you're giving up already."

"What's the point anymore?" I shrugged. "I minds well enjoy the time I have."

"No," Elliot stood up, looking at me after he said it. "I have a plan."

I stood next to him. "You sound like my friend Tori…"

"The other girl?"

"Yeah, the other girl," I said, a hint of anger flooding my voice.

Elliot took my hand. "Do you trust me?"

I thought about it, looking into his blue eyes. "I guess."

"You have to trust me fully, Cat."

"Fine, I do."

He smiled, checking his phone. "Call somebody."

"What?"

"Anybody, anybody that can fetch you from the pub along the highway," he handed it to me. "Just don't pick someone dumb enough to come looking for us."

I frowned at him, expecting it to be a prank of some sort. "So my parents are out of the question."

He laughed. "Try and have a little more faith in me, Cat."

"Beck," I decided.

Robbie wouldn't be in any fit state to help me after the news this morning.

"From what you've told me, are you sure he won't come after us? He'll end up getting hurt…"

I slowly dialled the numbers from memory. "He'll do as I tell him to."

Elliot watched me as I waited for Beck to pick up. "Or you could tell him this never happened."

"What?"

"It would be better for both of us, Cat."

I realised what he meant.

"Hello?"

The air in my lungs escaped me; it was so good to hear his voice.

"Hello? Is there anybody there?"

"…Beck."

There was a pause. "Cat? Is that you?"

Tears filled my eyes. "Yeah, it is."

"Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Hurry," Elliot said. "I don't know when James is getting here."

I nodded at him. "Beck, there's no time. Meet me at the pub they found Jade at…"

Elliot looked at his watch. "Twelve thirty."

"In exactly half an hour."

"Cat…"

I took a deep breath. "How is he?"

He knew who I meant. "It's not looking good; they did a pretty good job."

"Why did you let him do that to himself, Beck?"

"He refused to speak to me, Cat. He went out and the next thing is he's in the hospital."

Elliot snatched the phone from me, hearing the car engine. "Just meet her, please."

He shoved the phone back into his pocket as the door opened. "Follow my lead."

James half-shut the door behind himself then raised an eyebrow at Elliot suspiciously. "No need to stand for my arrival."

"I was just about to make some lunch," I lied, walking to the small kitchen.

"You're up to something, Elliot; I can see it in your eyes."

Elliot laughed forcefully. "Nope, nothing."

"What the hell have you done?" James demanded.

I gripped the side of the sink hard, waiting for some sort of cue.

"I haven't done anything!" he lied, shouting back at him.

"Pa will kill us if this deal goes wrong, Dayna needs this to work."

Elliot shook his head. "Have you noticed something, James? How we're putting our necks on the line for this and Pa doesn't appear to even have a slight involvement?"

"He's looking after Dayna," James said firmly.

"He's looking after his own interests; he doesn't want to leave his precious Dayna if we get caught! She's only going to die soon anyway!"

James looked furious, his face flushed red. He produced a gun from the small of his spine and aimed it at Elliot. I pressed my back against the sink, suppressing a gasp in my throat.

"Don't you dare say that about our sister! She's going to be okay!" James screamed, scaring me.

I could almost see the desperation in his eyes to believe his own words.

"James, you have to accept it. Without this transplant, she's not going to make it and what are the chances of that happening with how things are?" Elliot shouted back, his hands in the air.

"We have her," James gestured the gun at me. "The girl will come forward and we'll get what Dayna needs."

Elliot shook his head. "No, Dayna wouldn't want this, James. She would hate us for this, victimising two young girls her age for the sake of a shot in the dark? No, she would hate us if she knew this was us. You heard what she said this morning, about how sick and twisted it is to hospitalise a pregnant teenager and take her best friend! Imagine if this was her now? Being held in the woods like a prisoner and the only sure, steady outcome is that you'll die without anybody you love around you? Imagine how scared she would be? How she would want us here with her?"

James softened for a moment but then he tensed back up again, staring at me but speaking to his younger brother. "You've been spending too much time with her."

"I've just seen sense, James. I realised how disappointed Dayna would be in us, how disappointed Gran would be and how disappointed would Jessy be if she knew this is where you'd been all week?" Elliot said. I knew Jessy was James' girlfriend. He'd been planning on asking her to marry him. I guess this is what you get when you spend a week with a guy.

"Don't you dare bring them into this, Elliot," James shook his head, still aiming the gun at Elliot. "Imagine if I told your girlfriend that you've been staying here with another girl? She'd finish your relationship before it even got off of the ground."

Elliot stood back. "Tell her, she'd believe me over you. Besides, it looks like you're going to shoot me so hey, it won't matter anyway."

James stared at his brother then smiled. "You don't care much about yourself, Elliot. But what about hers?"

He moved the gun so it was staring me dead in the eyes. My heart almost stopped beating.

Elliot hadn't anticipated his brother doing this; I could see the apology written all over his face.

"See? Things change when it's the girl, don't they?"

I knew what he was going to do.

"Go!" Elliot screamed at me. He looked at me as I hesitated for a split second. "Go, Cat!"

My legs moved before I could even register what he had said to me.

It was like in slow motion, I could see James' face fall as he pulled the trigger and realised it wasn't in the path to hit me but his brother.

I reached the door, pulling it fully open and covering my ears as a blood curdling scream came from the small log cabin.

The bullets I expected to follow me out never happened; instead I could hear the disappearing cry.

I wanted to see how Elliot was; I wanted to know if he was okay and if he was going to be mad at me for the slight hesitation.

But I had to keep running, following the tyre tracks and get my freedom back.

**So a chapter full of Cat was in order, I think.**

**Keep you in suspense about Jade. :P**

**Anyway, I have my mock interview in the morning. Yay.**

**I don't even know what interviews require.**

**This could be fun.**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	7. Right

Jade.

"I have to go," Beck stood up sharply, his phone in his grasp.

I looked at him, slightly groggy from the blood loss. "Who was that?"

"It was Cat, she's okay," he almost laughed as tears formed in his eyes.

A warm feeling spread throughout my body. "Where is she?"

"She's told me to be at the car lot they found you in," he said, fumbling for his keys.

"I'm coming with you."

He shook his head, then bent down and kissed my forehead. "You have to stay here, babe. They want to monitor the baby in case your idiot father has harmed him."

"Him?" I frowned at him.

"I think Baby Oliver is a boy."

I looked at him, as blurred as he was, I could see his seriousness. "You…"

"No time, we can talk about it later. I have to go fetch Kitten back."

He kissed me swiftly again, this time on the lips before leaving quickly.

I tried to focus my vision but the doctor had said it could take a few hours. I felt the monitor around my small bump. Another five months and this could have worked, I sighed. Beck in Canada for six months, starting next week, I could have explained to him when I'd planned to. But now, all powers were out of my hands. I couldn't find a time to explain to Beck what happened that seemed slightly right.

…

"Knock-knock, it's only me."

I looked over at the door. Robbie.

He stepped into the room, awkwardly, like he would. I could see better now, I could see his bruises and his arms were bandaged. I could see the black eye slowly fading and I was pretty sure Beck had told me he had bruised ribs. He winced as he sat down at the side of me.

"I wasn't expecting you to want to see me," I said to break the atmosphere.

Jade West is not scared of anything except two things: deadly silence and being hurt.

"I needed answers."

I nodded; I wasn't sure what he meant. He'd already spoken to Beck about it all after he had refused to visit me. "Beck…"

"He called me on his way there."

I dropped my gaze from him, I felt responsible for his injuries. The reason he'd got into those fights and started causing trouble just to feel some physical pain rather than emotional.

"Why didn't she call me?" Robbie asked, pain streaking his face.

Thinking about it, it didn't make sense of why she'd want Beck over Robbie. But then I realised, Cat would know that he wouldn't be in any fit state to drive to get her. He wouldn't be able to listen to her as she told him to walk away from whatever had happened.

"She knows you better than anyone else, Robbie. She can recite your favourite colours in order, she knows that you can't handle this and she knows Beck can."

"She thinks I'm weak," he said, his broken soul was almost pouring out of him.

I shook my head, realising it hurt more. "No, she just thinks she needs to protect you. You're her… whatever you two are, and she thinks it's better to save you from things she knows you won't handle."

"Jade, why did you let them take her?" Robbie moved the conversation on, unable to listen to the truth much longer.

"Beck explained-" I began.

"I want to hear it from you, Jade."

I looked down at my hospital bracelet, reading the band for the ten thousandth time.

"I need you to say it," Robbie said again, his voice didn't change tone or get any louder but it was threatening.

"They grabbed all three of us; they didn't know which one they wanted. Tori kicked herself free and ran to the road. She left us there," I took a deep breath. "They pushed us into a van and she started crying. I couldn't console her; they'd bound our wrists with cord. I tried to speak to her but words wouldn't form in my mouth, I was scared, Robbie, I'd hate to think how she feels. They drove for what felt like forever then when they stopped, they dragged us out and began demanding to find out who we were and who Tori was."

I had to stop, a familiar stabbing pain of memory in my chest formed.

_"Cat, listen to me, we'll be okay."_

_She looked at me, her eyes glazed over with tears. "How can you be so sure?"_

_I glanced around the warehouse, searching for some way out. "The boys will come and save us."_

_"How can you put so much faith in them?" she cried._

_"Where else am I going to put it, Cat? Can you see another way out because I can't?" I shouted, not caring if they could hear me. "We have to trust them, trust Tori."_

_She nodded faintly, her head on my shoulder. "What will we do, Jadey?"_

_"Talk, wait for them to come back, pretend it's an adventure, Cat," I tried to comfort her but it was hard enough to hold my own fears in._

_"Do you think Tori is okay?"_

_I laughed; it was a bitter and harsh laugh. "She doesn't care how we are, Cat. She got out of here and we've been here over 24 hours, she's not sent help."_

_"She won't know where we are, Jadey."_

_I shook my head. "You see too much light in her."_

_"You should give her a chance, Jadey, she really isn't…"_

_I raised my finger to my lips as the doors opened. "They're coming."_

_She nodded, quietening down._

_Then they stood there, watching us like zoo animals._

_One smiled. "Lost hope yet?"_

_"Never," I spat back at him. "They'll find us."_

_They all laughed, finding it hilarious. "Sure they will, sweetheart. They'll find your bodies in a couple of months' time if that's what you mean."_

_Cat let out a small cry._

_"I see you're not too taken with that idea," one said._

_The tallest one walked over to be, stroking his arm around my neck. "You know, the quicker you tell us which one of you has what we want, the faster this can be over."_

_I wanted to hit him, I remembered that. He stank of beer and tobacco._

_"Do your best, sunshine," I replied back to him, my hands clenching against the cord._

_He laughed, backing away from me. "Tough one, aren't you?"_

_He stepped over to Cat, stroking her face gently. "What about her? You'd hate for me to hurt her, wouldn't you?"_

_I stared at him, disbelief and anger pulsing through my veins. He could see my displeasure, smiling, he produced a switch-blade knife and pressed it to her neck._

_I could see the blood slowly drip onto the blade. It wasn't deep, Cat was only whimpering but how could he do that? To my best friend? How could he?_

"Jade?" Robbie's concerned voice caught my attention again.

My hands moved to my throat, tracing the line he'd made on Cat's neck on my own skin.

"Jade? Are you okay?"

My eyes darted upwards. "What? Yes, fine. Is Beck back yet?"

"No, not yet," Robbie frowned at me. "You were out of it for some time."

"I was-" I stopped myself half way, shaking the thought off. "It doesn't matter."

Robbie nodded, twiddling his thumbs. He didn't speak again. He couldn't, he was waiting to see who shouted at one another first. Who would point the finger first, he was expecting me to, I was expecting him to.

Beck appeared, he looked angry, more than that.

"Where is she?" Robbie stood up straight away.

"She wasn't there. I waited two hours and called the cops. They're looking into where the call came from."

My heart sank, finally hitting rock bottom.

Maybe even lower.

**I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. Monday was the concert, Tuesday I was injured from the concert, Wednesday I was ill and then the rest of the week until now I've been ill and trying hard to be a good person.**

**I hope you like it.**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	8. Nor

**_Cat._**

I ran deep into the woods, jumping over the fallen branches and dead trees. My feet barely made a sound as I danced around the edge of the trees. I could just make out the tyre marks amongst the autumn leaves. I wasn't sure when the trail would end. I just hoped I'd recognise the area when the forest ended.

There were sirens, they were far off but there were sirens all the same. I wondered if they were for me or Elliot. I wanted them to be for me but Elliot could be dying or… you know.

Tears sprung to my eyes as I ran, blurring my vision. He could be dead because of me. His own brother would have had to have shoot and kill him. James would have to live knowing that. Their sister would find out about this, she would know what her family had done to save her I guess.

Something moved amongst the trees, I stopped. My chest was rising and falling faster than I could remember. I turned slowly in a circle, staring out into the fading light.

A hand covered my mouth to stop me screaming. My heart almost lurched out of my chest.

"Where do you think you're going, princess?" Hal asked in a dusty voice.

He turned me around to face him. "Don't scream, okay? I want to show you something."

I nodded, eyeing the holster on his side. A gun poised in it with a bullet inscribed in my blood if I did scream.

"Come with me, the car's on the other track. James called, told me what Elliot had tried to do. I could lose my grandson over this."

"I thought they were your sons?" I frowned as I followed him.

Hal nodded. "My daughter died and the boys' father didn't stick around for long after they were born. Dayna's father is a different story."

We made it to the car; Hal passed me a scarf and some sunglasses.

"You'll get recognised, put this around your head and the sunglasses on. Don't draw attention to yourself, you know what will happen."

I dropped my gaze, obeying Hal's instructions. "I must look like a Hollywood actress."

He chuckled. "I'll refer to you as Marilyn from now on then. Dayna can't find out."

Hal started the engine and backed his way out of the forest.

I sighed to myself. I'd tried.

…

"Hey sweetheart," he smiled at his granddaughter.

I looked around; it looked like a private hospital. We'd driven for a few hours, it could have been out of state for all I knew, and it was dark outside. Machines surrounded the pale looking girl. Nurses constantly passed. It would be easy to get someone's attention, rip off the scarf and sunglasses. But Hal had a hand firmly on my waist and the gun knocking into my side as a reminder.

"Hey Pa," Dayna replied quietly. Her hair was thinning for whatever treatment she was having, her eyes were tired but they still had a spark in them. "Who is that?"

"This is one of Elliot's friends, Marilyn. She wanted to visit you because Elliot is a little tied up with James at the minute and he thought you could do with the female company."

She smiled at me, holding out her hand for me to shake. I took it lightly. She raised her eyebrow in surprise. "You're wearing one of Elliot's jackets? Wow, you must be someone special."

Hal nudged me to speak.

"He let me borrow it, I haven't exactly got the right clothing for this time of year," I replied, carefully choosing my words.

"El hasn't mentioned anyone called Marilyn before, Pa," Dayna managed a mischievous smile. "Maybe this is his special girlfriend he's wanted to introduce me to?"

Hal shook his head. "No, that's a different girl."

"Oh, I see…" she looked at me. "Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors? And the scarf too?"

"I –"

Hal threw a nervous glance at me then cut me off. "Marilyn was in a fight, Elliot saved her so she's pretty black and blue."

Dayna's face fell into pity. "You poor girl, I'm just glad El was around or they might have succeeded with cutting your throat."

My hand instinctively moved to my throat, the cut had scabbed over enough now not to bleed when I caught it or moved my neck a little too far. "I guess I was lucky."

"Can you stay? It's nice to have female company; nurses aren't the same when they're constantly stabbing you with needles," Dayna looked up at Hal for some sort of agreement.

He nodded, pulling a seat out for me but getting close enough to my ear to whisper. "Keep things loose, she can't find out."

"Could you paint my nails? James and El tried but they're rubbish at it," she asked as she handed me the small pot of cherry red vanish. "I wanted this colour but Pa said I would give somebody a heart attack."

"They'd think you were bleeding," Hal sighed, pulling out his phone. "I'll call to see how the boys are getting on."

Dayna placed a pot of baby blue nail vanish into my palm. "We'll go with this one."

I began to paint a nail at a time silently, waiting for her to choose the topic.

"You're very quiet," Dayna smiled as if to encourage me to speak. "You and El must have been good friends."

I nodded, we were. No, we are, I forcefully reminded myself.

The sleeves of the jumper were much larger than my petite wrists so I pushed each of them up.

"Have you heard about the girl that has been kidnapped?" Dayna asked, eyeing my arm. "She's about our age, red hair and small. Her best friend says she has remarkable bruising and cuts, including one on her right arm saying 'Mistake'. Correct me if I'm wrong, Pa, but she looks a lot like that girl."

…

**_Jade._**

Hope was fading quickly. The longer Cat was gone; the chances of her coming back alive were thinning. Beck had driven Robbie home. Robbie wasn't in any shape to do it himself. Alex had called from Cat's; her parents had offered to look after him. He wanted to say sorry and ask, again, what we were going to do now.

Beck sat in the corner, his eyes flickering in his sleep softly. I smiled slightly. I could feel it, a nice flashback.

_-Flash back-_

_"Come on Jade!" Cat called to me._

_The flames flickered against my skin, the orange glow against my paper white skin. The fire was roaring like it had been before the sun had set._

_"It's three in the morning, Cat!" I argued back, trying to keep my voice down as the rest of the gang slept. "We'll freeze!"_

_"It'll be fun," she teased, poking my shoulder. "Besides, we'll be out before they wake up."_

_I rolled my eyes, sighing heavily. "Fine, but if I lose feeling in any body part, it'll be your fault."_

_She grinned, pulling off her t-shirt to reveal her swimsuit. I pulled Beck's shirt off my shoulders. She grabbed my hand and we took one last look at the guys and Tori before running towards the vast ocean ahead of us._

_Camping on the beach became a regular thing for us at weekends. We'd spend Saturday nights with Beck's RV parked at the edge of the sand and we'd build a fire from drift wood. We all had our reasons to escape. Tori needed to get away from her parents constant arguing and the fact Trina was at college in another state didn't help at all. André needed time away from his grandmother who had got worse over the summer. Robbie needed to get away from his overbearing mother and his past life with Rex. Cat needed to escape from her brother's antics which had led to his longer stint in the hospital. I needed to get away from my mother's intoxicated rants about how my father was a pig, not which was a huge shock to anyone but with Alex at our grandmother's every weekend, it made it so I could leave my mother to drown her sorrows. Beck needed to make sure I was okay, thinking about it, he was the only one without a huge reason to escape. I guess he just enjoyed helping us to escape._

_We splashed about in the water, picking sea shells up to show the others, collecting water to boil in the morning. We watched the sun appear around six and started making breakfast for everyone still sleeping around the smouldering fire._

_All without many words being exchanged, I could tell. That was the day we'd both care about more than any other memory we had._

_-End of flashback-_

"Beck…" I whispered not wanting to startle him. "Babe?"

He fluttered his eyes open, sitting up slowly stretching. "What is it?"

"Yesterday, you said –"

"Baby Oliver, I know."

I looked at him. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do, babe. I know you probably have some crazy explanation behind this and you'll tell me when you're ready," he nodded to reassure himself he was saying the right thing. "But I can't hide the fact I'm upset, Jade."

"I respect that," I mumbled, staring down at the cuts and bruises along my arms.

Beck sat next to me on the bed, kissing the top of my head. "You just need the right moment, that's all."

I hesitated before daring to ask. "Does this mean we haven't broken up then?"

"What do you mean?"

"I assumed after what was said…"

Beck laughed, wrapping his arms around me. "You jump to conclusions, babe. I was upset, shocked even. Cut me some slack, I didn't know what was happening. It was one bombshell after another."

"I love you, Beck."

"I love you too, Jade."

I rested my head on his chest until another question formed in my mind. "Do you think she's still out there?"

"Cat? Of course, she wouldn't give up this easily."

"Babe, I need you to do something for me," I said cautiously.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "What?"

"I need you to call Cat's mom and ask her if she can keep Alex for a few more days."

He nodded, kissing my cheek before he left.

I reached for my own phone. I pressed a few keys and found the name I was looking for.

It dialled a few times before anybody picked up.

"I wondered how long it would take you, Jade."

**Sorry for not writing these past few days. But these days, please, please, don't expect daily updates. It's my final year in Secondary before 6****th**** form and I have to get good results.**

**Question: How do you tell if you like a guy?**

**And this chapter is dedicated to TheAnGerFlarE who is eloping, cough. ;)**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	9. Shall

**_Cat._**

"Pa, tell me you didn't," she sighed, tossing the bottle of polish onto the side. "I told you not to go out and do anything crazy."

"It's expensive, Dayna, keeping you here."

Her eyes were ablaze with a fire. "You promised that you'd only keep me here as long as we could afford it."

"We can afford it, Dayna. The money from the arrangement…"

"Arrangement?" she tried to shout but her body was too frail. "This is kidnap! She didn't ask to get involved in this!"

Hal nodded as if he was actually listening to his granddaughter. "She's looked after, we haven't hurt her."

"She's covered in bruises and gashes, pa."

He faced her cold, icy eyes. I couldn't look at them, how he could, I will never know. "Dayna, there were others before we took over. They had a couple of days to hurt them before we got hold of them. We released her best friend and made sure she was found. What more can we do?"

"Let her go too, pa. She doesn't deserve this," Dayna stared at him. "You promised me you wouldn't go back to this business. You said you were done after you got caught!"

"If we let her go, sweetheart, someone else will get her and then kill her after she's no longer useful to them."

Dayna looked at me, taking my hand with one of her bony ones. "I'm sorry. What the hell have you got yourself into?"

"It's not her they want, it's her friend," Hal said, pulling out his phone once more. "I better go make this phone call before our heads roll."

He stood up; giving me a warning look then left the room.

"You're a good friend, whatever you did for her. Your name is Cat, right? Is it short for something?"

I nodded, looking down at the floor. "Caterina, my brother named me. It means pure."

"It's pretty, where did he get it from?"

"He wanted to call me Katherine, after a girl he wanted to be friends with so he could impress her, but my mom refused so he looked around for variations and came up with the Greek equivalent of it. That and it sounds like cat and ballerina combined so his three-year-old self was sold."

Dayna laughed lightly. "I like his thinking. Was the girl impressed?"

"Turns out she moved away the day after I was born so my brother couldn't," I smiled at the many retellings of that story. My mom must have told me about it over and over when I was a child.

"Is it just you and your brother?"

"Pretty much, my dad only wanted two kids but my mom could have happily had a litter of kids."

She grinned. "A family of randomly named kids sounds good. There is only James, El and me. We live with pa. Our mother died a few years ago, I was about eleven I think. James and El's dad lives in Alabama so they go to see him twice a year. My dad, despite the fact pa knows, remains a mystery to us. Apparently, it's better off as a secret until I'm old enough to understand. I'm seventeen. I doubt on my eighteenth I'll suddenly become much wiser but hey."

"We do crazy things to protect the ones we love," I recited the words Hal had said to me.

"That's why Elliot has a bullet in him, right?" Hal said as he entered the room again. "It's a good job Elliot has the better aim in the family, ain't it?"

Dayna stared up at him again. "El was hurt?"

"Cat tried to escape, El's big idea apparently. The bullet's lodged into his side; he's going to be fine. He just needs to learn that taking bullets isn't the type of hero we need right now."

She nodded sheepishly. "I want you to stop this, pa. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me."

Hal shook his head sadly. "It's too late for that, sweetheart. The money has been transferred now, we have no choice but to take Cat to who wants her and that's everything."

"What about Jade?" I asked, what was happening with her? They wanted her, not me.

"Boss says she's being taken care of, you're just going to 'ensure the transfer', whatever that means."

…

**_Jade._**

"I'm glad you've seen sense, Jade. I'll send somebody by to pick you up."

"And you understand the condition I'm doing this on?" I said again.

A sigh from the other end of the phone, he didn't seem impressed. "We will understand if it is his, Jade. We're not monsters. If the baby is his, we will do what is right by the baby. See you in about an hour, Miss West."

I took a deep breath. I could do this. It would be easy; my clothes were in the locker at the side of the bed. Alex had brought me some more after the others had to be taken away for forensics. I could change out of this ridiculously thin gown and finally feel warm. Beck wasn't here; he'd be gone for at least twenty minutes talking to Cat's parents. I had time, I reassured myself. I pulled out the saline drip, painful. Note to self: Never do that again. I pulled away the heart monitor, hoping no alarms would go off. Then, I began trying to tear away the monitor. The doctors seemed happy enough nothing bad had happened so I just thought it would be better for an early departure…

And I needed to help Cat.

I wrestled my clothes on as quickly as possible before a small post-it note fell onto the floor. I bent down to pick it up.

'I'm sorry for being mad at you, Jade. You're the best sister in the world; it doesn't matter about the camp or the house. We'll be okay as long as we have each other! I love you. Alex.'

"I love you too, kid," I kissed the paper lightly before cramming it into my jean pocket.

The reason I was doing this, maybe it was for the money but at the same time, it was out of love. It was practically offered on a plate to me, it was simple. Well, that's what it was supposed to be. Things kind of got a little messy between then and now.

Cat needed me; I guess that's what mattered. Beck, he would see why I'd done this.

Wouldn't he?

I quickly grabbed the bag I had stashed in the cupboard with my clothes. I rifled through it to find a pen and a sheet of paper, it was a flyer for the last performance of the school year. I smiled as I thought about my song and Beck's monologue about the future, our future.

'Beck,

I know you'll be freaking out and I'm sorry. I had to go this, arrangements have been made and I have to go. Tell the doctors I'm crazy if that makes you feel better. I'm sorry, this isn't your fault. This was going to work, it will now, just in a different way to what was planned.

I have to explain this, please give me chance. You see, you know how you want to go to that college in London? The acting one? You've always dreamt of going there but when you didn't have enough money to go, I saw a piece of you die. Then Alex wanted to go to this band camp next summer but it is expensive and dad refuses to have both of his kids "throw their lives away in the arts". So with the inspiration of my two favourite boys, the mess before me kind of began…'

I quickly scribbled down the rest of the story, hoping and praying he'd understand. At least, hoping he could read my scrawling.

_-Flash back-_

_"Let me look!" he begged, pulling my shoulder back lightly so he could peer over it._

_"No!" I said back, continuing to write the idea down on the back of one of Beck's scripts._

_He sighed, laying back down onto his bed. "You wake me up at… whatever time this is, to write a script and you won't let me see it?"_

_"Yep, sucks to be you, doesn't it?" I laughed, winking at him._

_"I'll get you back, Jade. Just you wait. Alex and I will get our revenge."_

_I handed him the script, hoping he could read the untidy handwriting. He smiled at certain parts then passed it back to me nodding._

_I stood back up, placing the script back down onto the kitchen table. "About your revenge, not a chance, Beck. You and the little bro will never fool me."_

_"You wait, West, we will one day."_

_I smiled at him, climbing back into bed at the side of him. "If that helps you sleep at night, babe."_

_He kissed my forehead as he wrapped me back into his arms. "No, you help me sleep better at night. Why can't every night be a weekend?"_

_-End flashback-_

I left the note on the bed with his name written across the back. Then I swung the bag over my shoulder, not caring about the ache I felt afterwards.

Dodging down the corridors, trying to act normal and look as if I hadn't escaped.

Finally, after what felt like forever in that place, I made it to the front of the hospital. The sun forced me to squint against its harsh light. Wow, it was bright.

Nerves filled my stomach as I imagined Beck's face when he realised I was gone. No, not nerves, self-hatred and guilt.

I had been selfish.

Somehow, I knew which car was for me. It looked business-like and quietly aggressive.

But as I approached, I noticed a girl sprawled out on the small patch of grass. Brown hair, slightly tanned skin, Vega's weird clothing.

Vega. Drunk, high, or plain dead, any of those would have summed up how she looked.

"What the hell happened to you?" I said, nudging her side with my shoe.

A low groan came from the creature formerly known as Vega.

**Lack of update again as I have a life. I think.**

**But just a reminder, whereas in previous stories, I was pretty much every night, these days, I have to get my grades up. So blame the British school system and not me, please? :)**

**I still love you guys. Hopefully, you still all love me too.**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	10. It

**_Jade._**

I knelt down at the side of her, placing my bag on the floor. "Why are you outside a hospital?"

She blinked against the harsh light. "What?"

"You're hung over major style, Vega."

"How did I even get here?" she rubbed her head, sitting up with a confused expression.

I stood up, laughing. "I've got to be somewhere. Will you be okay to get yourself home if I put you in a taxi?"

"Wait, Jade, don't leave me."

"I have to get out of here, Vega, before they drag me back in there."

Tori stumbled up, using the sign post next to her to hoist herself up. "You know that day when we went shopping and you said that saying knocked up wouldn't get me pregnant?"

"What relevance has this got to anything, Vega?"

"Well looks like you were wrong; there are two of us in the club now," she covered her eyes like she didn't want to see my reaction.

I half-frowned-half-stared at her, did Vega just confess to be pregnant?

"Don't look at me like that, Jade. Please?"

"Whose is it?" I looked at her in a new light.

She had this desperate look in her eye. "I don't know. After my mom told me about her and dad, I got a fake ID and went clubbing, some guy kept buying me drinks and then we ended up back at his place."

This was Vega, the goody-two-shoes that wouldn't put a toe out of line. That hardly took risks unless I had something to do with it. This was Victoria Vega who wouldn't dare say boo to a freaking goose. Yet here she was, pregnant and screwed over.

"Are you sure?"

"I took a test this morning," she sighed, crossing her arms uncomfortably.

I shook my head. "One test isn't enough. False positives can happen."

Tori suddenly became paler, doubling over and throwing up.

"Lovely, Vega. Classy," I rolled my eyes then grabbed her. "You're going to hospital, lucky for you; it's only five paces away."

"My parents are going to kill me," she groaned, moving with me as I pulled her along the road.

I laughed a little. "That sounds familiar, are you sure you aren't staging this from my life?"

"Jade, I don't know what you're talking about…" she trailed off as she fell to the side slightly.

"Tori, come on, just a couple more steps and you'll be with the doctors. Then I can get back to my life while you sober up."

The doors opened and the receptionist frowned at me. "Is your friend okay?"

"I think she has alcohol poisoning, she's been sick, she's very confused and can't walk properly. I found her unconscious in the grass outside. I hope to God none of your staff become detectives if they can't spot a girl in front of their place of work."

The woman gave me a 'you're right but please shut up' look. "Fill this paper in and we'll find her a bed."

"I was kind of hoping to leave her here, I have to be somewhere," I said, sitting Tori down.

"You can't leave her to fill out those forms alone, Miss. She's not going to do a very good job if she's half drunk."

I glared at the receptionist. "I have to save a friend and she wasn't supposed to be that friend. So look here, I need to be somewhere and I cannot be seen here."

"Feud with one of the people here?"

"More like I don't see eye to eye with them currently," I placed the board back onto the desk. "Now if you could just…"

The woman shook her head. "Fill out the form and I'll pretend I have no idea who you are."

"Fine, I don't know some of her details but you can get those on your system, right?"

"Sure thing, Miss. Give us a name, birth date and address, and I will do the rest."

I nodded, scribbling in the various boxes on the forms. "While I'm here, can I have Jadelyn West's discharge papers?"

The woman eyed me suspiciously. "You need a doctor to discharge a patient."

"I want to discharge myself," I repeated again. "Just get me the forms and I'll be out of your hair."

She sighed, pulling open a drawer. A few moments later, she pulled out one. "You do realise this is going against medical advice?"

"Of course," I replied, scanning the papers.

I quickly signed them and pushed them back to her. "Taa daa, both forms completed."

I glanced at Tori as they placed her on a trolley. "Poor kid, I've put she thinks she could be pregnant."

"I doubt if she was, she will have managed to keep the baby, that amount of alcohol you've stated here…" the woman looked at me over her glasses. "Honey, are you sure you want to discharge yourself?"

"I need to attend to some business. I'll come back if there are implications."

She nodded, pulling the forms over to her side of the desk. "Take care of yourself and the baby."

I smiled, thanking her and beginning to walk back to the doors with my bag on my shoulder.

"Don't you dare walk out of those doors, Jade."

I turned to see Beck. Of course, I should have just gone.

"You leave and I swear to God, I will call the police and tell them everything," he threatened as he walked towards me.

"I take it this is what you were avoiding," the woman called to me.

I looked at her, nodding. "Men, they have the worst timing."

She laughed, walking into the back office.

"So, is it true?" he asked, holding up the leaflet.

"I wanted to explain but it was never the right time," I tried to answer his question.

He shook his head. "For the sake of my college fund, are you being serious?"

"Calm down, Beck."

"You're readmitting yourself now and we'll talk about this in your room," he said, calmly.

I folded my arms. "I'm not doing that. I need to go somewhere."

"You're not going anywhere."

"Fine, I'll go see Vega."

Beck sighed. "Fine, I'll sign you back in then."

"You do that, Beck. But good luck finding me, don't expect me to be here."

"Jade, please…" his eyes were full of questions mixed together with sadness.

My phone rang. I pressed the take call button.

"Oh dear, Jade, looks like you missed your chance."

"I'm sorry; I had to help my friend…"

He cut me off before I could finish. "More important than Cat?"

"Tell me what I have to do to make it up?"

"Well, you've blown it. We have other ideas, Jade. You aren't the only option. Besides, Cat has other plans. She can't keep waiting for her rescue, Jade. She's decided to take her own fate into her hands."

I rubbed my forehead. "Please…"

The phone line went dead.

I took a deep breath. "Beck, I need to help Cat."

"Is that where you're going?"

I nodded shyly. "I arranged to meet with her."

"I'm coming with you," he declared.

"No, Beck. They can't see you or they'll use you against me too, anyway, they refuse to let me see her. I'll go see Tori and then we'll talk about it."

He took my hand. "What aren't you telling me?"

"They said I wasn't the only option. I don't know what they mean."

"We'll work it out, babe."

I stared directly into his eyes. "I don't think you can fix this, Beck. This isn't a bust engine, this is our best friend."

**So I was brainstorming earlier with darling theAnGerFlarE and the next few chapters are sorted. ;)**

**However, don't expect too much this coming week, one has a maths exam. I'll try and write at some point. But no promises, at all.**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	11. Be

**_Jade._**

"How's it feel, Vega?" I asked, resting on the chest of drawers at the far side of the room. "Enjoy your stomach being pumped?"

She groaned, trying to block me out. "Go away, Jade."

"You got yourself into a real mess last night," I carried on anyway, moving closer to the bed.

"I wasn't out to get alcohol poisoning as you're accusing."

I held my hands up. "I never said you were."

"Good, have they told my parents?"

"They have to, you're still seventeen."

She sighed, covering her eyes. "Why couldn't you just be my guardian?"

"Oh Vega, you must be kidding. I'm technically still a patient."

"I think I better duck and take cover; my dad is going to kill me for drinking."

I smiled slightly. "I suppose that's the disadvantage of having a cop for a dad."

"I guess the only good news is I was never pregnant…"

"I guess so, you're too young."

She frowned at me. "You're a hypocrite."

"I – Never mind."

"The police think Cat's dead, don't they?" Tori said bluntly, nursing her heavy head.

I took a deep breath. "They're trying to find evidence."

"Evidence she's dead or evidence she's alive?"

"I don't know, Vega."

She looked directly at me. "You blame yourself too much."

"How can I not blame myself? If I hadn't pulled over to argue with Beck..."

"Things would be different."

A silence replaced the words we should have been saying. Vega lay there, occasionally groaning and shifting to be more comfortable. I just tried forcing the band off of my wrist to combat the awkward silence.

"You should have run when I did," she finally said.

It took a moment for her words to take effect, then something in my brain triggered like a gun.

"How could I run when it was my best friend?" I shouted unexpectedly.

"It would have saved you a lot of pain."

I shook my head. "I love Cat, she's like family."

She rolled her eyes. I hoped this was the remnants of alcohol because if it wasn't, I would have a big problem with her soon. "She would have been stuck in the same place as she is now, Jade."

"What has gotten into you, Tori?"

"We don't control what happens to us, my parents are separating, and Trina isn't around anymore. No matter what I could have done, it will have never changed anything."

I stared at her. This wasn't Tori, the girl that everybody loved, this was a monster.

"You know, it would probably be better if Cat was dead. You wouldn't have to live with the emotional trauma, which would suit you, Miss I-don't-care!" she carried on, laughing in parts.

"Are you being serious, Vega?"

She closed her eyes, resting her head back on the pillow. "I want you to leave."

"What? Just like you left us? Oh, no that would be because it wouldn't have changed anything?" I spat at her, turning to the door. "You know what? Only speak to me once you've got out of whatever cloud this is."

…

"Babe, you should have been easier on her."

"She was being cruel about Cat, she had it coming."

He glanced at me from the side, filling in another form for me. "Tori is ill."

"She's going to have more than alcohol poisoning if she carries on," I muttered under my breath.

"Calm down, Jade," he chuckled, kissing the side of my head. "She's having a tough time."

I glared at him indirectly. "And we aren't?"

"You know what I mean," he sighed, throwing the form on the side of the bed. "We have everything we need, right here."

My hand found itself on the emerging bump. "You know, we find out the moment he's born."

"Find out what?"

"They said we could do a DNA test as soon as he was born."

Beck smiled. "What will we do if he is mine?"

"I don't know, you want to go to college and I want to get into script writing full time, so…"

"So what?"

"If you wanted…"

He looked at me. "You're being serious?"

I shrugged. "If you wanted to go to college, we could fund it somehow. I still get some money, we could get an apartment and we could manage that way. But it's about what you want."

"But what if it's theirs? The surrogacy couple?"

"I have to hand them their child, it's only fair. But if he is ours, we're keeping him, right?" I looked at him for some sort of indication he was on the same page as me.

"I've always liked the name Landon," he smirked, taking my hand.

I shook my head. "It sounds like you're trying to say 'London' in an overly British accent."

"How about this, if he is ours, we let Cat name him or her?"

I nodded, she'd like that. It would make something seem normal for her. "She can name him whatever the outcome, the parents owe me that much."

…

**_Cat._**

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Valentine."

He took my hand and shook it lightly.

I pulled it back, looking across at Elliot who was surrounded by machines and doctors. "Will he be okay?"

"The bullet only grazed him, he's going to be fine for later on."

"Surely he should be in a real hospital?" I asked, unable to tear my eyes away.

Mr Jenkins laughed. "He has the best care I can offer."

"And why do you need him better for later?"

"Well, you and Elliot are going on a little trip," he smiled, offering me a seat. "I noticed how close you've become so I thought I'd be kind."

I didn't look at him, I couldn't. His smile was cold, like his eyes. They were like gravestones, grey and chilling.

"Now, Miss Valentine, you must know about the surrogacy arrangement my wife and I have with Miss West, yes?"

"What?"

His face was pleasantly shocked. "Oh, Miss West was doing a wonderful job of the privacy aspect. Well, I'll explain as she is unable to. My wife approached her in the doctors, assuming her younger brother was her child. They began talking in the waiting area and they reached an agreement which solved both of their issues."

"What issues?"

"My wife cannot have her own children; this upset her for a long time so Miss West agreed to be the surrogate for us. Miss West spoke about how money was tight because of her mother; my wife offered her a large sum of money to create a better life for herself and her brother."

I shook my head in disbelief. "She would have told me."

"We asked for a great amount of privacy on the matter, I don't believe she told anybody," he said, a hint of pride in his voice.

"How did Hal and his grandsons get dragged into this?" I questioned, noticing James at the side of his brother's bed.

Mr Jenkins signed a document then looked up at me. "Hal happens to be a very old relation of mine."

"You're not going to admit to Dayna then?" James shouted over at us.

I finally looked around the place I had been brought to. The room was almost entirely white. A desk and a hospital bed, they were the main features.

"Miss Valentine doesn't need to know."

"She needs to know the rest of what you're using Jade for!" he yelled back.

Elliot glared at Mr Jenkins.

"Fine," the great Toby Jenkins sighed from boredom. "Dayna will benefit from the baby as she will receive a stem cell transplant which will hopefully save her life."

"Tell her the rest of it then," Elliot said, gathering his things. "Are you okay, Cat?"

I nodded, scared of what was about to come.

"There's no time, Elliot. You and Miss Valentine have a private jet to catch."

**Sorry for the delay! I am really sorry. My life is a little…messy at the minute.**

**So yeah, new chapter, what do you think?**

**I'M PUTTING A POLL UP FOR THE BABY NAME; YOU CAN CHOOSE A GIRL'S AND A BOY'S NAME.**

**If you think of any you like, send them me on a review?**

**I love you all.**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	12. Home

_**Cat.**_

"Give me your personal belongings, Elliot," Mr Jenkins demanded.

"What do you want with his things?" James moved in front of me and Elliot, who was now stood with my help.

A couple of days had passed; the white warehouse had an apartment style space behind the furthest door. It felt like a prison, I was trapped in this strange, unknown place with two friends and one mad business man with a messed up idea of how he was going to get this baby.

Mr Jenkins smiled softly; it was almost pitiful or sadistic. "Now, James, learn to pick your battles more wisely. Perhaps your father will teach you that one day."

"I'm twenty, what more could my father teach me? At least I know that lying is bad unlike you, Toby," James' nostrils flared but with a simple push, he was out of Mr Jenkins' way.

"Your phone, Elliot," Mr Jenkins then looked at me. A smirk developed on his lips. "I want you to help me, Miss Valentine. You'll be a lot better at explaining how I've let you go."

"You're… you're letting us leave?" I stuttered, stumbling back slightly causing Elliot to falter too.

Mr Jenkins nodded, smugly. "I figured you have no use now. Jade has signed a contract; she's legally bound to giving us our child. But there's always a chance it could be her boyfriend's."

"So we can go home?"

He looked at me. "You can go anywhere, Cat. We'll talk about this more when you've finished gathering your things."

"Why will I need to explain anything if I'm going home?"

"Come with me, Miss Valentine, I'll explain," he gestured for me to walk ahead of him.

Elliot gave me a desperate glance as James replaced me in holding him up. "No, Cat…"

"We must speak, Elliot, and without you two buffoons interrupting us," Mr Jenkins insisted, trying to force me into walking.

"Not until you tell her the truth, Toby," James stared at him; his voice was matching Mr Jenkins' cold monotone tone. "She at least deserves to know the full truth about this."

Mr Jenkins began to look unnerved. "Miss Valentine has no need to know that, James."

"Dayna is his daughter, not that he wants to admit that and Dayna has no idea."

I frowned at Elliot and his comment. "What? Dayna doesn't know?"

"No, she doesn't. She thinks our mom adopted her when really she was seeing him for a couple of years then she had Dayna and he ran away at the thought of being tied down. He got married and Dayna has no idea," Elliot said, a bitter undertone shook his voice.

"It was never like that, Elliot. Your mother agreed to tell Dayna when she was old enough to understand but due to her tragic death…"

James laughed, looking straight at him. "So when you heard the news that she'd died, you didn't send flowers or come to visit to tell Dayna yourself, you just acted like she had never existed and that your daughter didn't either."

"She was too young," Mr Jenkins argued.

"She was fifteen. Two years and you still can't admit it to her?" Elliot spat. He could barely hold himself up regardless of James' help.

Toby shook his head. "How do I explain it all to her? She's better off without knowing."

"No, it's better for you. Your business reputation means more to you than she ever will," James sighed; a pitiful smile filled his face. "She's dying and you feel so guilty about that, you want this baby so you can sleep at night knowing she's alive."

"Now, where would you like to be taken to, Miss Valentine?" he ignored the boys in front of him.

I glanced at Elliot. "Maybe you could take us back to see Dayna, Mr Jenkins?"

"I said _you_, Miss Valentine, I never mentioned these pair."

"What?" I frowned. "Why can't they come with me?"

Mr Jenkins didn't look at all phased. "Make your decision then, you can either leave now or you can stay here if you want to be with them so desperately."

"Go," Elliot pleaded with me.

It reminded me of how he'd ended up here, telling me to leave.

Both of them waited for me to say I was leaving. I could see it in their eyes. But then I could see the hate in Toby's eyes, hatred that could hurt innocent people.

"I'm staying."

He grabbed my wrist, sharply tugging me away from James and Elliot. "Come with me."

Mr Jenkins threw me into his office, slamming the door before either James or Elliot got to it. He rummaged around his desk, looking for something. He threw a piece of paper in front of me.

"Fine, you can all leave then."

I stared at him, wide-eyed. "What are the conditions?"

"You do something for me," he placed the pen down in front of me. "Write."

…

_**Jade.**_

"Tori is asking for you," Beck sighed, walking back into the room. "She wants to apologise for what she said the other day, not that she could remember any of it."

I remained silent, staring blankly into space.

He wandered over to the window, pulling back the curtains. "It's raining again. I swear LA has upset the sun."

"Maybe my parents could visit soon, they want to make sure you're okay and the baby. They've missed you, you know. Mom said she think she's gone deaf because nobody is singing in the early hours."

Beck continued to talk, pointless things just to fill the time.

"I'm scared, Beck."

He stopped, staring at me as I spoke for the first time in about an hour. "Why?"

"Cat, what if something has happened to her?"

"She will be okay, she's a fighter. She got that from you, babe."

I shook my head lightly. "Cat can only take so much. Nobody is indestructible."

He sat down next to me, taking my hands. "Cat will come home."

"One way or another you mean, right?"

"I can't make promises, Jadelyn. Not about things I can't control, but I promise that whatever happens, I'll be here."

He pulled me into his chest so I could close my eyes for a while. This is how things had been, three days of this. Fretting and hugging, talking and listening to each other's heartbeats.

"We'll check the news again, okay?"

I nodded as he reached for the TV remote, another hourly occurrence which had been adopted.

A woman, in a grey suit jacket, flashed onto the screen.

"Our top story this afternoon, a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean has been reported by the Florida Air Traffic Control in the last hour. The private jet which is believed to be owned by a huge corporation was being used by a teenager and two males who cannot be yet named and two pilots who have not been identified. A statement from the company involved states that the plane was hijacked by the two males and teenager. The Florida coastguards are now searching for the jet and the families have been informed. The police are not looking for anybody else involved."

She looked down then reshuffled her papers. "In other news, local teen, Caterina Valentine has been missing for…"

"Turn it off," I sighed and then sat back up.

Cat's parents appeared in the door way, sobbing.

"Oh, Jade," her mother cried, it sounded so sad.

**I'M SO SORRY, I REALLY AM.**

**I never meant to leave it this long but suddenly my teachers piled coursework deadlines onto me.**

**I have three next week. :(**

**So this may not get updated until Thursday?**

**D:**

**Remember to vote for the names! The poll is on my profile!**

**I love you guys, really.**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	13. Some

_**Jade.**_

"Has there been some news?" Beck asked when he noticed Cat's parents.

Mrs Valentine looked at me, her eyes red raw with tears. "The police have just been to see us."

A sob broke her voice; she buried her head back into her husband's shoulder.

"They think they've found out what happened to her," his voice was emotionless, rehearsed even. Her father had took it the hardest, Cat going missing just seemed to blast a hole through his heart and it just looked like it would never quite recover.

I could almost see it; feel what they had to say. It hung in the air like a storm cloud, waiting to rain and hurt somebody with its lightning. But I knew that it had already shocked Cat's parents and it was ready to shock us.

"What did they say?" Beck questioned, sitting back down.

"They told us they think Cat was on the plane that crashed off the coast of Florida," Mr Valentine replied, his voice quivering on her name.

My heart sank.

Beck looked at both of them. "Are they sure? Why was she on a plane? Why didn't she come home?"

I could see the red anger slowly filling him. All I could do was watch it unfurl in him.

They were implying she was dead and I couldn't do anything about it.

"The police are speaking to the owner of the jet."

Mrs Valentine let out a large cry, sinking to her knees. Mr Valentine knelt next to her, cradling her in his arms.

"They think she's dead, don't they?" Beck said, not really asking.

"Lost at sea, they call it," Mrs Valentine cried, her hands covering her face lightly.

I felt a hand slowly slip around my own but I was numb to any movement of my own.

"They must have it wrong; they can't think that Cat is…" Beck trailed off, shaking his head lightly.

My eyes raised themselves to the two detective types in the doorway, what was this? My best friend dying suddenly became a free for all entrance to my room?

"Miss West," one of them addressed me. "I understand you were Caterina Valentine's closest friend?"

I nodded faintly at him.

The woman with him gave me a weak smile as she held out a white envelope to me which had yet to be opened. I took it with my free hand.

Unfolding it, I began to read.

_Jade,_

_Things have been a little crazy, wouldn't you agree? After the whole… ordeal I don't think I want to stick around. Elliot and James, my friends, they offered me a chance. A new start in England, they have an uncle there or something. They're truly amazing people. They have a sister, Dayna. She's dying. They say they can't watch her just fade away. They want to remember her like this, alive and as well as she can be for now. I've met her, she's pretty, reminds me of you with her sharp mind. Elliot says when we get there; we can change our names and become strangers to everyone in that country, I think there could be something between us. He's so grounded and so wonderful._

_Oh, Jadey. I wish things could be different._

_I wish I could look at this city and think about something other than being kidnapped. I wish I could be there when baby Oliver comes, if it is Beck's, I know about the surrogacy. I wish I could be there to hold him or her, though I think it's going to be a girl, and welcome them into the world._

_But you have to understand, some things just can't be helped._

_Robbie will be a challenge to explain this to but in time, he'll move on. I don't know if we could say this is our official break up because I was never sure what stage we were in. Beck, darling Beck, look after him. He's the best guy you could ever ask for, Jadey. Tori and André, they're going to be okay without me. Tell Tori I forgive her and tell André to never stop writing his music._

_I wanted to come say goodbye to you, but Elliot told me the plane wouldn't wait._

_I'm sorry. I love you._

_Cat._

The letter fell from my fragile hand.

"What is it?" Beck looked at me, hurt now leaking into his eyes, mixing with the anger. "What did she say?"

I didn't move my eyes from the fancy handwriting. "She was going to England to start a new life."

Her mother began weeping again, her father trying to sooth her.

Beck looked at me as if he was waiting for me to crumble.

But I was, silently crumbling under the pressure of trying to remain composed.

"Miss West, we offer our deepest sympathy," the woman said kindly. "But we will need to take an official statement from you, to release to the public about your state."

I nodded, only taking a minute to glance up at them. "Maybe another day."

The pair smiled weakly again, saying their final sympathies and farewells.

"Jade…" a small voice said from the doorway. "I guess you've heard then."

Alex walked in, glancing only at Cat's parents once.

"Hey, Alex," I tried to force a smile for him.

He sat on the other side to Beck. "I'm sorry."

"I know, it's not your fault."

"How did you find out?" Alex frowned at me. "They only told me about an hour ago."

Beck looked at me. "What are you talking about?"

"Dad's marrying his tart," he replied, watching Cat's parents again.

"Alexander! What have I told you about using language like that?" I scolded him; it was more habit that anything else. Tears formed in my eyes. I was used to Cat covering her ears at someone swearing or using cruel words. As they streamed down my face, Alex reached up to wipe them away.

"What's happened?" he asked naively. "Why are you sad?"

I wrapped my arms around him, waiting for my mind to fathom the right words to tell him that the girl who used to colour with him when he was ill and who would take him to the music stores when our mom would refuse and would buy him as many CDs as he could carry was gone. The eleven-year-old buried his head into my shoulder.

"Cat's gone, isn't she?" he whispered softly.

"She wouldn't do this to us," I announced after hours of staring at the same letter. "She would never leave us."

Beck ran a hand through his brown locks. "Babe…"

His tear-stained cheeks were illuminated in the dark room by the stream of moonlight.

"It's all wrong."

"What do you mean? She justifies it in her letter. What does it matter now anyway? She's not coming back, Jade."

I shook my head. "It doesn't make sense, Beck. She wouldn't do this, any of this."

Beck knelt down, avoiding the sleeping boy at my side. "Babe, she's gone. It doesn't matter, nothing will change that fact. The sooner you accept it, the easier it will be to grieve."

I stared at him. "Why should I grieve when she's not even dead?"

"She's gone, Jade."

"Show me her body and I'll believe it," I said simply.

"Lost at sea, Jade. The plane crashed in the ocean."

I refused to listen any longer, but thankfully, I heard a light knock. Beck opened the door, revealing it to be Robbie.

His face was blotchy and red, his hair wild and his hoodie was inside out.

"I've lost her," he said emotionlessly, looking between me and Beck. "I thought we'd be high school sweethearts, get married and have a family, sings songs together…"

"Robbie," I said sharply. "Snap out of it, if she could see you like this, she'd back away very slowly."

He fell silent, sitting in the chair at the side of Beck's. "What are we going to do?"

**This chapter, man, it was tough to actually write. Writer's block is a horrible thing.**

**I think I've found my prom dress! It's dark blue, long and pretty.**

**Twists and turns are yet to come! ;)**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


	14. Day

**_Jade._**

I watched my boys as they slept, Alex curled up against me. His eyes fluttered in his sleep. It was like he was young again, well, younger. When he would be scared of the monsters lurking under his bed so he would get me to fight them off, he refused to let anybody else do it. But I would never forget the day he walked down the stairs, aged nine or ten, looked me straight in the eye on evening and told me that I should stop looking for the monsters under his bed because the monsters were in us instead. That had always played on my mind, how deep and meaningful my little brother could get at such a young age. But then I would often realise that my brother had seen more in his eleven years than most would ever see in their life time. I glanced at Beck shifting in his slumber; he was on the verge of ripping the letter up and burning it just so I would stop reading it over and over. Yet, I could see something wasn't right with the damn letter, why couldn't he see that? I kept agonising over the details, each word she had written in her fancy scrawl.

Then it hit me.

'_I wanted to come say goodbye to you, but Elliot told me the plane wouldn't wait.'_

_It was a private jet. Of course it could wait. After the confirmation, the company stated it was Elliot and James Huntley's to borrow for the journey to England thanks to their grandfather. Ha, like I believe that. Jenkins had something to do with it; it was his company after all. They were connected; the two boys had to be._

_Another thing: 'Elliot says when we get there; we can change our names and become strangers to everyone in that country, I think there could be something between us. He's so grounded and so wonderful.'_

_She would never do that to Robbie, not after whatever they had between them. Their weird but kind of sweet love, it was too much to throw away. Stockholm syndrome was the only way that would happen and I can't see Cat falling for anyone but Robbie._

_I had to go, I had to find her. She wasn't dead. Not with a letter like that._

_Quietly, I pulled the series of plugs so the heart monitor wouldn't alert anybody. I'd made my mind up; this bump and I were on a rescue mission. Cat had a child to name and she wasn't escaping that duty. I dressed myself as fast as I could._

_"Where are you going?" Alex whispered, rubbing his eyes._

_"Please, Alex, just go back to sleep."_

_He looked at me; the essence of tiredness left him. "You can't leave, what about…?"_

_"Alex, listen to me, the doctor hasn't found anything wrong with it so just let me do this, for Cat, okay?"_

_It took a moment for him to consider it._

_"Fine, but what do I tell Beck?"_

_"The truth, I guess. Just try and go back to sleep until then?" I pleaded with him, stroking some hair from his face. I picked up Beck's car keys with the other hand._

_He nodded then put his head back onto the pillow._

_"Thanks, Alex. After all of this, how about we get our own house? Away from mom and dad?"_

_"That would be cool. What about Beck? Maybe he could bring his RV and could live in our garden instead?" he smiled, sleep taking over again._

_I smiled back. "If he behaves himself, he might even be allowed in the house. I'll see you when I come back with Cat."_

_He shut his eyes, smiling to himself still._

_It took some time to creep down the quiet hospital corridors without being seen and when a nurse or doctor would walk by, I would keep my head as far down as possible. They stared at me with some distant recognition, probably from when I arrived. That's when forever ended and I'd managed to escape into the car park._

I jammed the keys into the ignition. It had been a long time since I'd driven Beck's truck.

"Come on," I muttered to myself, trying to start the engine with no avail.

The screen of my phone lit up, I prayed it wasn't Beck but instead it was an unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered; I could hear someone breathing down the phone. "Hello?"

A weak, muffled plea came from the other end then the line was cut off.

I threw my phone into the seat, deciding it was a prank call.

But then it dawned on me.

Cat.

I rushed to find my phone again; dialling the number I would have never dreamt of using.

"Sinjin?" I said as soon as the phone was picked up. "Sinjin, I need you to do me a favour and if you do, I'll give you Trina's number."

…

Now I was sure, it had to be Cat. From some distant warehouse in the woods, it was truly Jenkins' style. I was becoming like a 'mama bear' as Alex had put it last night, more protective than ever before over anyone I cared remotely about. My foot was flat to the floor on the accelerator down the back lanes that headed for the outer city. If a police car was about to appear out of nowhere, it would ruin everything and probably land me with a huge fine or a jail sentence.

Sinjin, the geek I now owed Trina's number to, had pretty much solved all of my problems. All I had to do now was get Cat out of there and tell Jenkins he would get his kid, **_if_** it was his kid, and the stem cells regardless, when the bump was good and ready. I regret ever meeting his wife, not that I'd ever spoken to her again. He seemed to tuck his wife away, only bringing her out when she became of use to him.

"Come on," I said again, following the map that Sinjin had given me on his GPS thing.

I ended up swerving the car down a country lane, nearly landing into a series of trees but I didn't. I was just too good at this film stunt kind of thing, pregnant and reckless driving, sounds like a reality TV show on MTV.

"I'm coming, Cat."

…

**_Cat._**

"Now we sit and wait," Toby Jenkins, the psycho businessman, laughed with pleasure.

I glared at him. This was not what he'd told me. He said he'd let us go.

"Oh, Caterina, thank you for your help," he knelt down beside me. "Without you, this wouldn't have been possible."

"You're getting a kid and a couple of stem cells, not an Oscar," James sighed, his hands bundled along with his feet. "Maybe you could enquire about some brain cells at the same time?"

Toby stood upright again. "James, as enlightening as your comments are, they aren't required, are they? These stem cells are going to save your sister's life."

"It's too late for that," Elliot spoke from next to me. "The doctors have given her six months."

"No, she will be okay," Toby shouted. "No daughter of mine will die."

I laughed simply. "I just hope that Jade's baby isn't yours, it would have a much happier life with Beck and Jade than it ever would with you and your pretend wife. Where is she?"

"My wife does not deal with my business matters," he spat, turning his back on us.

"Basically, if she knew what you were doing, she would be out of your marriage like a bat out of hell," I shook my head. "Poor woman, she doesn't know she's married to a monster."

A sharp pain echoed in my cheek. Toby dropped his hand down. Elliot and James stared helplessly.

"Now look what you made me do, Caterina."

**I've been trying to write this since yesterday. I got half way through and didn't know what to do…**

**But here it is.**

**I'm off to read the Hunger Games for the third time. Maybe I'll write a fanfic for it… Would any of you read it?**

**REMEMBER TO VOTE FOR THE NAMES, SERIOUSLY IT'S NECK AND NECK SO I NEED MORE VOTERS. Please? The poll is on my profile. :)**

**Love always,**

**Chasing Midnight.**


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